Tool



H. RATCLIFF'E Dec. 2E, W37.

TOOL

Filed Sept. 25, 1936 l Patented Dec. 21, 1937 italia TOOL Harry Ratcliffe, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Westem Electric Company,

Incorporated, New

York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application September 25, 1936, Serial No. 102,448

2 Claims.

This invention relates to tools, and more particularly to multiple strand cutters.

In apparatus employing a plurality of predeterminedly spaced substantially parallel strands or Wires; for example, in the manufacture of telephone cross-bar switches, there are assembled a plurality of closely arranged sets of horizontal straps or wires, each set comprising, in one arrangement, six parallel similarly spaced wires, each Asoldered to one contact spring of a plurality of sets thereof spaced along'their lengths, the points of soldering of the wires to the contact springs of each set'being progressively offset to provide greater clearance betweenthe points of soldering. After the soldering operation, the projecting` ends of the wires extending from the offset soldered points of the end sets of contact springs are trimmed or cut off adjacent the soldered points. f

An object of this invention is to provide a tool capable of efficaciously severing with a predeteri-y minedr uniformity a plurality of substantially tail extension on one blade riding ina comple- A mentary recess formed in the other member cause the blades to move in a rectilinear path one upon i the other upon a relative sliding movement being j effected therebetween when the handles are pressed toward each other. The cutting blades are each formed with a plurality of similarly spaced parallel strand or wire receiving notches each having a cooperating shearing edge, the notches extending diagonally and transversely of the blades to correspond to the offset points where 'each wire is to be trimmed.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a side view, partly in section, of a wire cutter embodying the features of this invention;

Fig. 2is a bottom plan view showing, in broken lines, a plurality of wires positioned in the wire receiving notches ready to be severed;

(Cl. VEll-212) Figs, 3 and i are vertical sections taken on the lines 3-3 and 4-4 of Fig. 1, and

Fig.r 5 is a fragmentary side view similar to Fig. 1, showing another embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the drawing, the wire cutter as shown comprises a pair of hollow handles I and I I bifurcated at their inner ends. Fixed between the furcations of the handle Ill is an irregularly shaped member I2 having integral therewith a forwardly extending cutting blade I3 (Figs. 2` and 3). `A bifurcated member I Il is xed between the furcations of the handle I I, the furcations of the vmember I4 extending upwardly, with the member I2 pivoted therebetween, as indicated at I5. .operatively connected to the member I4 between the furcations thereof, is a forwardly extending cutting blade I 8, having formed on its inner surface, as viewed in Fig. 3, a dovetail extension I9 which is fitted to slide within a complementary recess 20 formed in the adjacent abutting surface .of the blade I3 of the handle IIJ (Fig. 3). An elongated vertical slot 2i in the blade I8v with a pin4 22 (Figs. 1 and 4) carried by the furcations of the member I4 passing through the slot provides a pivotal operative connection between the member I4 and the blade I8. The pivot point is disposed at a distance from the pivot I5'relatively short as compared with the length of the handles, thus providing a multiply-v ing action for sliding the cutting blades I3 and I8 relative to each other, the blades being caused to move in a rectilinear path without undue friction one upon the other by means of the dovetail connection when the handles are pressed toward each other. The opposite longitudinal side faces of the blades I3 and I8 are beveled inwardly along their lower portions to provide narrow bottom work engaging faces in which are formed a plurality of, in the present embodiment six, similarly spaced parallel strand or wire receiving notches 25.

The wire receiving notches Z5, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, extend diagonally across the width of the blades and not at right angles thereto. This diagonal arrangement of the parallel notches, when wires 21 (Fig. 2) to be severed are positioned therein and extending parallel thereto are cut, will result in the points of cutting being progressively offset along a predetermined diagonal line. Also, since the parallel diagonally arranged notches are formed with a predetermined width suitable only to receive freely the wires to be cut, but without excessive play, the wire cutter can only be positioned on the wires by the oper- Y ator in a manner which will result in the points of cutting being offset along a predetermined diagonal line. Furthermore, in the use of the wire cutter, the diagonal arrangement of the wire receiving notches 25 makes it possible for the operator to more efficiently position the wires 2'I (Fig. 2) in the notches as the wire cutter is moved into operative position relative to the wires, for the operation may be more clearly observed, since the operators hand may be to oneV side of the points where the notches 25 receive the wires 21, which may be directly in front of him.

The handles I0 and II are normally urged apart, as shown in Fig. 1, by a leaf spring 28 having one end fixed to the handle I0 and its opposite end entered in a slot provided in the member I4. A stop pin 29 fixed to the member I2, the latter being rigid with the handle I0, limits the separating movement of the handles under the action of the spring 28, the stop pin forming an abutmentfor the member I4 carried by the handle I I. In the normal position of the handles I0 and II, as shown in Fig. 1, the series of wire receiving notches 25 formed in each of the cutting blades I3 and I8 are in alignment, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. When the handles are pressed together to perform the severing operation, the movement thereof is limited by the member I4 of the handle I I engaging the member I2 of the handle II! at the points indicated at vill.

In use for trimming the ends of telephone cross-bar switch straps or wires, hereinbefore described, the wire cutter isl held by the' operator Ywith the handles I0 and II in their normal or open positions, as described hereinbefore, and is then moved toward and at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the longitudinal axes of the spaced parallel wires 21, it being assumed that the diagonal line of the soldered points indicated at 32 (Fig. 2) of the wires 21 to their contact springs (not shown) of the cross-bar switch has this angle, into position over the wires with the notches 25 in alignment therewith, the cutter then being lowered Vto enter the wires in the notches. Upon thus being positioned, the operator presses the handle I I upwardly toward the handle ID, which movement causes the cutting blade I8 to move toward the right asV viewed in Figs.Y l and 2, and all the wires are cut simultaneously between shearing faces 33 of the blades I3 and I8 (Figs. 2 and 3), leaving an equal small length of wire extending from each soldered point. Upon the operator releasing the handle II, the spring 28 returns the handle and the cutting blade I8 to their normal positions.

It will be noted that the handles I0 and I I are so shaped and so related to the blades that the upper handle I0 will normally lie in the hollow of the operators hand' while the-pivotally connected handle Il engages-the operators finger.

With this arrangement, it is very easy during operation for the operator to maintain the blades in the plane of the series of wires being cut. The Work of closing the handles is almost wholly accomplished by movement of the ngers and since the blades are rigidlyheld in an extended posif tion from the upper handle, there is little or no tendency for the blades to be swung out of engagement with the wires at either extremity of i the series of contact springs.

In Fig. 5, there is shown fragmentarily an ernbodiment of the wire cutter of thisV invention, which is similar to that described above except that wire receiving notches 25 with shearing edges are formed upon the upper edges of the cutting blades I3 and I8 as well as upon the lower edges thereof for efiiciently performing the above described wire trimming operation upon a plurality of aligned spaced sets of Wires 2l, wherein one severing operation may be effected and then by merely moving the wire cutter one Way or the other without withdrawing it from between the sets of wires the second set of wires may be trimmed. This form of the invention is also useful where it is inconvenient to insert the tool at the upper side of the wires to be severed.

Although in the wire cutter illustrated and described the wire receiving notches, as viewed in v Figs. 1 and 2, extend downwardly from left to right and at a particular angle it will be obvious that they may extend in the opposite direction and at a different angle.

YWhile the invention has been described with lparticular reference to the simultaneous severing of a plurality of wires as arranged in a telephone cross-bar switch, it is not limitedV to such use and it will be understood that the invention is capable of other'applications and that modications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:` Y

1. A tool for Vsimultaneously cutting a plurality of parallel predeterminedly spaced fixed wires with the pointsof cutting being progressively offset along the length'of the wires comprising a member having a plurality of wire receiving notches having cutting edges, an actuating member pivotally connected thereto, a second member having a plurality of wire receiving notches having cutting edges cooperating with each member having a spacing similar to that of the wires, to be cut,` one of saidnotchedmern-` bers having a dovetail extension engaging in' a complementary recess in the other notched member to cause said lattermember to move in a predetermined path by said actuating member,

and means including a resilient element for maintaining said second notched member in'a normal position with its notches aligned with the notches of said first member for receiving wires to be cut. A f

2. A'tool for simultaneously cutting a plurality Yof parallel predeterminedly spaced xed wires with the points of cutting being progressively off- Vset along the length of the wires comprising a member having a plurality of wire receiving notches having cutting edges, an actuating mem-Y ber, means for operatively connecting said actuating member to said notched member, asecond member having a plurality of wire receiving notches Vhaving cutting edges cooperating with the notches and cutting edges of Ysaid first member,V and means for pivotally connecting said second member to saidV actuating member,A said notches extending diagonally and transversely of the members at a predetermined angle, the notches in each member having a spacing similar to that of the wires to be cut, said notched members having cooperating surfaces for'causing said latter notched member to move in a predetermined-path by said actuating member.

HARRY RATCLIFFE. 

